120 great egrets on Tiengemeten island

This video about the Netherlands in winter says about itself:

25 hungry Great White Egrets

14 Jan 2013

25 Great White Egrets gathering before sunset to sleep together and to fish in some not yet frozen canals.

The video also shows a grey heron and some fieldfares.

Dutch conservation organisation Natuurmonumenten reports that in October this year, 120 great egrets were spotted on Tiengemeten island.

That was the biggest ever number for that species on Tiengemeten. On that island, great egrets are nearly twice as common as grey herons. Though grey herons are the most common heron species in the Netherlands as a whole.

Great egrets don’t nest on Tiengemeten. Birds from nesting colonies in the Oostvaardersplassen in the Netherlands, Poland, France and other countries winter there.

The third numerous heron species on Tiengemeten are little egrets. Bitterns and purple herons occur there as well.

Rarely, one can see squacco herons on the island.

In January 2009, a juvenile black-crowned night heron sat down on the Tiengemeten ferry. See photo here.

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